You Decided This
by Predatress
Summary: No one realizes Demyx is losing himself because of the mask he wears, and it's only getting worse. As things look up after meeting Zexion, he can't figure out why a new void is growing around him. AU, Light Zemyx
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Well, I'm back, for one. Hi everyone! Now, the important thing I need to share is my very good friend Ramen and I are working together on this. I am the Demyx writer, and she is the Zexion. The inspiration was by me, but the idea is hers.

Apologies: It's probably not as flowing as a story should be, so I'm sorry for that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the idea.

Now, on with Chapter One!

xXxXxXx

Demyx groaned as he was forced out of the haven of his room and the security of being able to talk to his figurine doll Vincent in peace. It had been about a month or so since he found Vincent on the sidewalk. He had become attached to the plastic boy whose dark slate hair was flipped in front of his left eye, and used him for an imaginary friend when his real friends seemed to ignore him as a person. Shaking his head, the dirty blonde went to his welcoming group of 'friends' who at the moment were sharing what they did over the weekends. Apparently, most of them went to a party at Axel's while the rest of them were at the mall or something. He didn't really care, and when he noticed that two tables away sat a boy he's never seen at the school before, he decided greeting a new kid would be better than listening to them go on about the alcohol Axel's father served them.

_Why?_ Zexion asked himself._ Why did Mother have to drop me off at the _front _of the school. _Though he was a logical kid, he couldn't help think someone was out to get him by giving his mother a new job, having them move, and forcing the poor kid to start his Junior year a new school when it was already three months in. What was worse is he had finally gained a few friends, and what felt like an instant, they were taken away. As he continued his useless blaming of whatever he could think of as he took out his sketch book, he didn't notice the nervous dirty blonde that had approached him and was now practically standing in front of him.

The tall boy glanced down, eyes widening when he saw that this kid looked exactly like Vincent. _Maybe the talk of alcohol is magically making me hallucinate?_ It was the best thing he could come up with that didn't involve 'crazy' in it, and he definitely didn't need that on his mind. Biting down a gulp of uncertainty, he finally spoke up once he was maybe half a foot away from the other, "Hey there! Ya new here?"

His body not moving in the slightest, a pale blue eye looked around as much as it could to see if there were someone around him that this person could possibly be talking to. When no one else was around, Zexion concluded the person was talking to him, and looked up. This stranger was on the taller, handsomer side than he was use to seeing; slightly breath taking, he had to admit, but of course, he didn't allow himself to show it. He simply nodded before turning to his drawing pad again, hoping he would be left alone. However, everyone knows that is a wasted hope from anyone.

"Well, do you know where your classes are? It's easy to get lost here," Demyx said softly, "I still forget where I am sometimes, and I've been here since ninth grade!" he then added with a chuckle, being as friendly as he naturally could. His attempts of a friendship were getting on the small boy's nerves though. Zexion could already tell the dirty blonde was top of the social pyramid, and as happy as he should be that someone so popular would want to talk to him, he was nowhere near that emotion. Too many school years he's been treated terribly and used, even by students younger than him, so like Hell he would risk dealing with that again.

"I've taken a look at the layout of the school," he said in a quiet voice. "I think I'll be fine on my own." Not bothering to place his sketch book back into his bag, he closed and swung it over his shoulders as he stood up, "Excuse me. It was nice talking to you." Making sure not to look back at the taller boy, he made his way over to the closest bathroom.

Only, he never made it to his destination as Demyx quickly placed himself in the way. Call him childish, but the dirty blonde didn't like feeling anything other than happiness and security. He grew up with love, encouragement and every positive emotion there was, and feeling anything else made him sick to the stomach, so of course he went after the other with a little desperation. "Hey, I didn't say something to upset you, did I? I didn't mean to make you seem like you can't do anything by yourself, if that's how my offer came off, really!"

He was responded with a narrowed glare and raised brow."No, it has nothing to do with what you said." the irritated boy sighed, opening the bag at his side and placing the sketchbook back in its place before he continued staring up at the dirty blonde with arms crossed. "Alright," he said, "go ahead and come out with it already; I don't want any games. Is it a dare? Or do you want to show your friends that you can treat an underling like someone of your high status for a short period of time? How about you think I might come in use later on?" Even if only one eye was visible, his gaze was steady as he searched the taller male's face for any sort of smugness, "Am I wrong? I have more."

Now, had Demyx been a nutcracker, his jaw would have well been close to the floor. Closing his mouth quickly, it made a _clack_ when his teeth snapped together, his mind having difficulty registering that not only does this boy appear to loathe the dirty blonde's very existence, but he seemed to even believe that said blonde was of bad intentions. "Of course you're wrong! It's not a dare, and I don't use people for my fun. And what does it matter if you're not as well-known as I am? That has nothing to do with me going to say hi to you!" Relaxing from his small outburst, he sighed and wagged a finger in the smaller boy's face, a small smile creeping upon his own face despite the jolt of anger he had felt only moments ago. "You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance."

Perking up a fake smile, the offender placed a delicate hand on his chest, imitating something a princess from a child's movie would do, and laughed lightly. "Oh, excuse me then," he dropped his hand back to his side, letting his smile fall as well, "I suppose it's the fact that I've lived through being judged by my appearance for so long I probably picked it up. Apologies. 'Hello' to you too, but now, I'd appreciate it if you left my heart and I alone." His finale said, Zexion pushed past the boy and continued on his way. Yes, heart was the right word for it. It had been trampled and stepped on so many times, it was only natural he didn't want it to happen again.

A small tension formed over the older boy's muscles, and he could feel wrath twitching at the corner of his mouth. Why was the new kid so bent on making the world seem like it was a terrible place and that everything was a lie? Sure, Demyx had his share of unfaithful friends and companions, but that never stopped him from being cheerful. When it did affect him, he just put on his mask of a permanent smile and no one realized. Right now, he wished the mask was real so he could chuck it at the shorter boy. Shocked by the thought, he shook it away, "You're not the only one who's felt deception before, and you shouldn't act like you are either." he called, about to take a step forward and after the other when the bell rang. His face softened into surprise, his thoughts back to reality and not the stranger. With a frown, he donned his 'other face', and ran off to get his backpack from his friends, before making his way to his first class.

He really didn't mean to seem so harsh, but what he let out was only a small portion of what he wanted to say that was bottled up inside him. Well, if that boy would leave him alone, then he wouldn't have to hear more. Time went by too fast for the cranky boy, lunch already upon him. So, finding a wall out in the quad area instead of sitting by the tables again, he sat down against it and pulled out a book, basically praying that the stranger wouldn't seek him out.

Said stranger hadn't paid much attention to his classes, but seeing as he understood most of what went on, he didn't quite mind anyhow. What he couldn't grasp was how someone could be so cold! "I did nothing wrong, and he treats me like I'm the reason his life sucks, Vin!" the musician whined, talking to Vincent away from others.

_You're never one to give up, why now? _Came the reply from his imaginary companion, making the dirty blonde stop whimpering for a moment.

"You make a good point, Vin! You're the best!" hugging the plastic boy, he put him back into his backpack, his actual cheeriness returning as he sought out the kid from earlier. It wasn't too hard, considering his friends were eating lunch at the moment and couldn't bother him. "Hey, you're looking lively." he laughed, grinning at the boy.

At the sound of that way too familiar voice, a small hand curled up into a fist of frustration before both were placed on the covers of the book, slamming it closed harder than necessary. Zexion didn't look up due to the fact he didn't want to risk the chance that he lost his guard while looking at the handsome boy and actually became friendly with him. "Quite," he grumbled, "though, may I ask why are you still talking to me? Was I not clear enough that I did not want to associate with you at all?" The response was unwanted, but Demyx expected it, and would take rude mannerisms over being ignored any day.

"Well, no one else seems to want to talk to you because of your attitude, and since you're not making the effort to make friends, I'm going out of my way to befriend you." Of course there was that, and the fact Vincent had encouraged him to do so, but the mullet boy wasn't going to share that information. "What's so bad about talking to me anyways? I mean, if you want a new beginning, you have to let go of what's happened before. You can't expect everything to change and bend to your will, because you need to put some work into it too. Someone may make a dream, but other people have to help to reach it."

_Attitude?! _Who did this kid think he was, saying Zexion had an attitude? Okay, maybe he did have one, but for a good reason! His thoughts broken at the comment, he finally looked up at the taller male, unable to believe what he said. ". . . A new beginning?" Was he a mind reader? "I don't need your friendship." Short, simple, and to the point. There was a nice fellow he met in his science class he could always make friends with, but to befriend the king of popularity was too overboard.

"You say you don't need it, but it's really that you don't want it." he muttered, looking to the side as if he weren't really talking to the one before him, but rather just thinking aloud, "what we need and what we want are two completely different things, and are easily confused for the other. The ocean doesn't need the full moon to rise to dangerous levels, but it wants it. Fire may not want to be dependent on other objects, but it needs to be or else it can't continue burning." Demyx sort of chuckled when he realized how poetic he suddenly became, but he didn't stop there, "you just don't want to associate with me because I'm too popular, and maybe it's the rumors that are scaring you. I have a feeling that you need someone to trust but just won't admit it." Lacing his fingers behind his head, he continued the warm smile, "Am I wrong? I have more."

As the taller boy continued, and Zexion had no choice but to listen. He was about to yell at the other for accusing him of denying the need for trust, when his own words from earlier were thrown right in his face. He paused, placing a hand on his cheek as if he was smacked, unable to help but mutter a light 'Ow'. This dirty blonde was stubborn, but so was he. "Yes, you are. I do not need someone to trust. It's simply a want I have, I'll admit, but I'd rather not have it from someone like you."

The thoughts that maybe the new kid's front was finally broken went out the window at those statements, and he couldn't help feel a little irritated at how stubborn he was. Demyx didn't get all those friends because he was a quitter, though, and he wouldn't start now. "You make me sound like a bad book," he muttered, "something not worth your time reading. There are a lot of things you let pass by when you hold hatred towards something someone else has done. It's being stereotypical, and in some case, racist. Everyone's different in some way, even if it's hard to see." Letting his arms rest at his side, he put a hand out to the pigheaded boy, smiling a little expectantly, "Why not make a bit of a deal? If I can't prove to you that I'm different in maybe...A week's time, then I'll leave you alone forever. _**But**_," of course there was a catch, "you have to be open minded the entire time, or the time is extended."

With logic against him, Zexion had nothing to say in retort but of course that wouldn't be something he'd admit openly. Death glaring up at him, the irritated male got up and dusted himself up before he took the other's hand. "Fine," he hissed, "but you're not making me hang out with your friends. I _simply_ **won't **allow it." This was taking a big chance as it was; he didn't need to risk anything else.

"Great! And don't worry; I wasn't planning on having you hang out with them. I'm trying to convince you that _I'm_ different, not them. And first off," releasing the other's hand, he broke the distance between them and gave the loner a brief hug, pulling away with a smile, "I greet and say good bye with hugs, and I only do that for close friends." Bouncing slightly, he continued the wide smile, "And the name's Demyx. I didn't have a sweet sixteen like a lot of the kids here do, but I did get to visit my uncle who was staying in another country at that time," he gave a nod, taking a breath from speaking at least five sentences in one gulp of air, "so, what about you?"

At the sudden change of spirits, the bookworm felt his stomach plummet with regret as he started to think maybe he's dealing with someone bipolar. Soon, that brainstorm was calmed, and not used to human contact, he jumped slightly when the taller boy wrapped his arms around him in a hug. "_Close friends?!_" he couldn't help shouting out, "we've barely just met and now you're _hugging me_?" Clearing his throat, he tried to regain his composure before speaking again. "My name is Zexion. I moved here from the North due to my mother switching jobs."

He did flinch when the other yelled, but his smile did not falter one bit. "My mom lives up North from this very spot," he said, pointing up. Returning his attention to the smaller boy right after, he chuckled, "Hope we get along."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Ramen is a bit of an impatient woman, so...The days that Zexion and Demyx spent together during school have been skipped. As in, we didn't even write that part because she was lazy and wanted action. [Trust me, she nagged so, don't get all "WTF!!!234!" on us. Thank you!

Apologies: It's probably not as flowing as a story should be.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Now, on with Chapter Two!

xXxXxXx

The school week had pass, and Zexion had to admit that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would have been. The first day he was very quiet, regretting ever agreeing to Demyx's little wager for the fact that the boy always found him no matter what. The taller even walked the boy home on Thursday, and somehow managed to get Zexion's cell phone number out of him. It amazed the outcast how persuasive the other could be, but he grown slightly attached to him, and wasn't as freaked out when he found Demyx hanging out by his classroom door when school ended. The stubborn preppie certainly proved that he wasn't like the others, but the shorter boy still kept his guard up.

The dirty blonde hadn't minded the smaller boy's constant groans or expressions of pure irritation on the first day, and he had noticed they were slowly lessening over the week. It wasn't easy picking out topics that might have gotten Zexion to speak, but after careful preparation with Vincent's help, Demyx actually made a list of things he could converse with the other student over phone. Now Saturday, he gave his uncle a hug before racing to his prey's home. Sure, the little emo wasn't fond of the musician popping up, but he did have a bet to win. Skidding to a halt in the slate-haired boy's yard, he picked up his cell phone, clicked the green button twice and held it up to his ear.

Liking to have his Nokia under his pillow when he slept for easy access, Zexion woke up with a start when it began to chirp loudly and vibrate. He groaned as he snatched it, giving the screen a quick glance and immediately recognizing it as Demyx's number even without having saved it. _Ugh, now what do you want?_ "Hello? What is it?" he asked in a quiet voice as he got up and stretched, knowing the older boy wouldn't let him go back to sleep.

"Good morning, beautiful!" came the cheerful reply, "sorry if I woke you up, but guess who was just dying to see your sunshiny face?" How someone could be so energetic the second they woke up was insane, but that was Demyx. Looking up at the sky, he started bouncing in place before speaking again, "It's nice out at the moment, so maybe we could go to the park? Oh, oh! How about the zoo?" Having no shame, he started to jump animatedly, waving his hand as he came up with suggestions, "You wanna go to an aquarium, maybe? Fish are always cool to look at!"

The reply he got at first was a sigh. They had a conversation similar to this the day before, only the musician was talking about which way they should walk to school. "Demyx, you better not be . . ." Making his way over to his window, Zexion pulled back the curtains to see the hyper boy bouncing around in his yard. As Demyx continued to ramble, the petite male slipped into a pair of black skinny jeans before going down stairs to greet the blasted boy. His mother wouldn't mind if Demyx was inside the house, anyways, being she found him amusing. Opening the door, Zexion shut his phone and slipped it into his back pocket, wondering how long it would take the other to realize what's going on. "Hurry up and get inside, _Mr. Sunshine_. We need to eat first before we do anything."

Flipping his phone shut and stuffing it into his pocket after a minute of awkward pause, 'Mr. Sunshine' trotted over laughing, "Aw, 'Sexy Zexy' learned sarcasm! Move three spaces forward!" Ignoring Zexion's cringe at the nickname, Demyx hugged the smaller boy and said his 'thanks' before walking inside with three calculated steps just out of the door's reach. Spinning on his heel to face the shorter boy, Demyx laced his fingers behind his head, still ecstatic as ever, "I get sick from eating in the morning unless it's something loaded with sugar, so I'll just wait till you're done eating whatever," a thoughtful tap on his lower lip, "'less you have junk cereal?"

Closing and locking the door, the blunette walked past Demyx and into the kitchen, "Sorry," he said, pulling out a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk from the refrigerator, "my little brother lives with my father, so we don't have any cereal. There might be some chocolate bars in that cabinet over there." He pointed off into some direction as he put a few slices of bread into the toaster, Demyx's gaze following to nowhere in particular. "Mother is trying to diet, can't you tell?" Sitting himself down after preparing breakfast, all Zexion had was two pieces of toast and a cup of milk.

"Right. . .Well, no thanks. My stomach doesn't agree with chocolate unless it's baked in something." When the dirty blonde saw what his reluctant friend considered breakfast, he gave a disapproving look and walked to the refrigerator, "That's all you're going to eat? I mean, if you're gonna eat breakfast, at least have a full-blown meal. I'll make something for you. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes. . .Whatever you want, basically. Your wish is my command." A dramatic bow followed after, before his hand fell on the handle of the fridge as he awaited a response.

"Er, no thanks," was what he got in return, the small teenager standing up. He walked over to the Demyx, taking his hand off the handle and standing in front of the refrigerator. "Be happy I even ate breakfast at all." Zexion didn't want to waste time with breakfast, mainly because he wasn't one for eating in the morning, but also because he kind of wanted to get out of the house and hang out somewhere, as much as he'd deny it out loud. It took a good moment for him to realize he hadn't let go of Demyx's hand, and his cheeks flushed slightly, his hand quickly releasing the other's with a mutter of sorry.

Even the short period of time the outcast held his hand, the taller boy felt a small jittery feeling form in his stomach, but it was easily concealed by his happy personality. His hand inside the smaller boy's, a small jittery feeling came over him but was easily concealed because of his usual bouncing personality, "Don't worry about it! Besides, if you think about it, our hands kind of fit together." he laughed, his arm hanging off of his friend's shoulders for a handful of seconds, "So, anywhere special you'd like to go?"

He really didn't want to talk about keeping hold of the other's hand, and Demyx just getting closer didn't help in the least. Despite the weird feeling he was getting, he immediately dropped the subject when he was released from mullet boy's grip. "It doesn't matter to me, though, the park sounded quite enjoyable." The emo boy didn't exactly have a good experience with parks, considering the last time he went at the age of eight he had been attacked by a dog, making him vow to never go to a park again. But hey, he had Demyx now, so it shouldn't be so bad if anything came up, right?

One can only hope. "Alright then, to the park we go! We have about three, but I doubt you want to go to the ones with playgrounds in them." The thought of not getting to go on the swings was a little disheartening to Demyx, but he hid it as well as he hid everything else, "There's a really nice one not too far from here that has big trees and a pond, and all that nature-y stuff." he exclaimed, placing his hand on Zexion's back and ushering him outside, not making an advance to remove itself as the dirty blonde believed his friend would try to run away if he wasn't guided. About a block or so away, however, he finally let his arm return to his side, "Well, we need something to talk about, and I'm usually the one starting the conversations. So, why not you give it a try?"

A thin, blue-ish lavender brow raised in the handsome boy's direction, "Start the conversation?" Heavens knew Zexion wasn't good with that, "Alright . . . How about I start with a question, then? You haven't told me about your family except for your uncle, in a way. Do you have any siblings? And you pointed out that your mother was, er, up North. So then, what about your father?"

"Questions are always good to make a start." 'Mr. Sunshine' said, taking a moment to process every inquiry, "Well, thanks to my father cheating on my mom, I have a stepbrother named Hayner. He's a delinquent, and a pothead." He dodged a fire hydrant before continuing, "Mom was caught in a deadly traffic accident about ten days after my sixteenth birthday, and my dad bailed on us when I was nine. He said, 'Dem, I just don't love your mom anymore, and I ain't made to support a mental case like you. Sayonara kid, and try not to kill yourself too soon.'Anyways, my uncle Luxord decided he'd move into my house and watch over me, since he didn't want me losing all my friends from moving in with him. Oh, and mom's body couldn't be identified, so we didn't have a funeral." Even after his tragic tale, he didn't seem too bothered by it., looking at his companion with a soft smile, "So, what else would you like to know? Hobbies, favorite video game?"

Zexion flinched. How was it possible for this kid to be so cheerful after having experienced that? Either he was really good at looking on the 'bright side', or he was a terribly good actor. With nothing to say in response that sounded utterly pathetic, such as 'I'm sorry', which wouldn't do much either considering he didn't do anything, Zexion could only let out a quiet 'Oh, that sucks' as he dug his hands into his pockets and stepped over a puddle. Well, guilt wasn't exactly what he wanted out of a conversation, but that's what the boy felt for asking such a personal question. "Yes, hobbies. Is there anything you're interested in doing? Play an instrument, write stories . . .?"

When the low mutter was heard, Demyx kind of just laughed, "I'm okay with it. It'd be selfish to focus on my past by letting it drag me down, creating negativity and hatred. When it comes up, all I say is, 'at least it happened to me', and then I forget it. There are others who are more misfortunate, and then there are people who don't deserve things like that, so I just think it's better me than them." His speech done, his smile brightened even more than before, "I play instruments from the different countries Lux visited. I think the ocarina and sitar are my favorite to play. I also like helping people out, strangers or not. What about you?"

Looking up at the other, emo boy's face said something like_ What do you mean 'it happened to you?' You don't deserve it either!_. But, this expression only lasted a moment before he turned his head again. _What time is it? _"I'd like to hear you play sometime. I've never even heard of those instruments before." He started to add a slight skip to his step now that he was fully awake. "Me? I doodle here and there, but only when I'm inspired by books that I've read. Some of them gave me such a wonderful mental image of whatever or wherever they were describing, that I had to put it down on paper."

The expression had spoken volumes to the musician, but he kept smiling and pretended he didn't notice. "I'm sure you've heard a sitar before. They were popular with hippies, and then ocarinas were pretty common with them too. Sitars had nice, tranquil sound, and then the ocarinas were more compact than a flute or clarinet. But yeah, I'd love to play sometime for you! I actually have my ocarina with me, if you want me to play for you when we get to the park. Nature and music. . .It's calming." A dreamy gaze took over his face, quickly brought out of it when Zexion spoke again, in which he nodded his understanding, "All art is inspired by something that influences the artist, and that's what makes it influential to others. I'm sure your sketches are really good."

"I'd be delighted to hear you play," he said with a smile. The conversation went on, small talk at the most, though the smaller boy couldn't say that he didn't enjoy it. In all honesty, he enjoyed his talks with Demyx. They never really went too deep, but there was something in even their talks about lunch that seemed a bit personal. It made him feel...There just wasn't a word he could quite put to it. At the park, he was in the middle of describing one of his favorite parts in a vampire story he read and how he illustrated it, when he froze. The sketch artist bit his bottom lip, trembling slightly at the sight of the _leash-free_ Great Dane a tall man with long blue hair was walking with.


	3. Chapter 3

1

Author's Notes: First, I would like to thank Lifes.Lover for being very supportive of the story so far. You are awesome, so thank you! And of course, thanks to you other reviewers! On another note, I do not know if 'Lean On Me' is possible on the ocarina, but if the Hungarian Dance is, I immediately assume so is such a simple song.

Apologies: It's probably not as flowing as a story should be. Like...Seriously.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Three! Amazing, eh?

xXxXxXx

The dirty blonde was very ecstatic when his friend accepted his music offer with a smile, and was only more encouraged that he was winning this little wager of theirs. Listening enthusiastically as his friend explained the art so passionately, a frown immediately overcame his face when he noticed Zexion become startled. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked softly, slowly prying his worrisome gaze from the artist to follow said boy's gaze. Just as he caught sight of the culprit to the other's strange behavior, the Dane had spotted the unlikely pair and was now bounding towards them, barking happily.

The owner didn't seem very concerned with the dog, but the moment he heard a shriek, the man turned, calling a name out and whistling in attempts to stop the monstrous mutt. Even if it had been years ago, just the thought of being chased by a large dog frightened the smaller boy, and without thinking he wrapped his arms around Demyx's waist tightly as he screamed, "Keep it away!"

Despite the complete moment of confusion the musician was going through, the request did not go unheard. "Alright," he murmured, pulling from the other's death grip and standing up. Walking a few steps in front of his friend, the musician took a contraption that hung from his neck and blew into harshly, a shrill sound echoing from the now obvious ocarina. "Sit!" he yelled out sternly to the horse-like dog, pointing to the ground to help the dog understand what he was ordering. In response, the creature skidded to a halt just inches in front of them and plopped onto his rear, still as cheery as ever and oblivious to his blue-haired master behind him.

"Hamnet," the owner grumbled, shaking his head in disappointment. Grabbing the Great Dane by the collar and clipping on a matching leash, the man bowed his head slightly, "My apologies," he said, "he just wanted to play."

"Oh, it's no problem, sir! Bye bye, Hamnet!" Said animal barked his good bye before following his master who tugged on the leash. Zexion, who managed to glue himself back to Demyx, felt so embarrassed that his mutter of thank you was a little shaky.

"Heh, you're welcome. You're okay enough to not faint or anything though, right?" It was a very light joke that actually did hold concern, Demyx turning to wrap an arm around the trembling boy, petting his back soothingly. It was something his mother always did to calm him down, so he decided to try it on Zexion with hopes it would work for him too.

The artist nodded slowly, quite sure he would be fine. The worst he would do was probably cry, but seeing as he was saved, he could probably keep control of his emo- the _Hell _is touching his back? The other rubbing his back startled the boy until it began to have some fort of effect, his breathing steadying and trembling fading away. "Thanks, Demyx," he smiled at the other, touching the boy's arm as a way of telling him he could stop, "That thing that you blew into...Was that the instrument you were talking about earlier?"

With most of his attention to the comforting touch, Demyx almost missed the thanks from the other. Being pulled from his little trance, the older boy gave a nod, letting his arm fall back to his side. "You're very welcome, Zexion." he answered, then looking down to address the question, "Oh, yeah, it's my ocarina." Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out the contraption again, revealing the strangely shaped instrument. It looked kind of like a large, dysfunctional whistle to the smaller boy. "A friend of mine had it customized for me, since he knew Electric Blue is my favorite color."

The boy gazed at the contraption, committing its shape and size to memory. "Ocarina," he repeated slowly, allowing the word to slip off his tongue. Now that he looked the brightly colored object, it seemed to trigger something in his mind, the shape becoming more familiar as he stared at it. "Well," he started, smiling up at the boy, "let's hear it, then." He swung his arms a bit before stepping forward again and walking.

"Ah, okay!" he said, getting his fingering on the instrument right before he saw the other walk away. Spinning quickly on his heels, he matched Zexion's walk just as fast, "I'll play one of my favorites for you." Taking a steady but deep breath, he began to play. It was an average, but sort of slow speed, telling a story to catch one's attention and make them keen to listen. His eyelids lowered as he went into another trance, and soon the music flowed into a more influential pace, picking up tempo just a bit to an uplifting and spiriting tone. After the burst of balanced but upbeat energy, it mellowed again, before falling softly, and ending. "I learned it in 5th grade choir, but I liked it so much I learned to play it on every instrument I could. Can you guess what song it is?"

Even if he recognized the song and was able to remember a few words of it, the name still managed to escape the younger student. "The song reminds me of my grandparents, that's all I can say." he murmured, biting his lip slightly.

A small chuckle escaped the dirty blonde as he nodded, releasing the ocarina and letting it hang from its strap of leather. Taking another breath, he cleared his throat and began, not caring if there was anyone else to hear him.

"_Some times in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow_

_But, if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow_

_Lean on me, when you're not strong,_"

he gave his companion a look, flashing a smile,

"_and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on! _

_For, it won't be long till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on..._"

Demyx's voice was perfectly faulted; too high to be tenor, but too low to be alto. Breaking away from his other world, he straightened his shirt and grinned, the dreamy expression gone though replaced with a 'knowing' look. "Sorry. Got a little into the moment," he apologized, blushing lightly as he pulled at the longer part of his hair.

Zexion blinked before giving the taller boy his own smile. "No, it's fine, really. That was really good, for a lack of better words." He took note of the light crimson that spread across the other's cheeks, though he didn't think much about it. "Intereting choice of song, I must say." he then said, noticing it seemed to fit the two of them, though he couldn't figure out why. "A mullet, right? I haven't seen one of those before, besides on an old video of Billy Ray Cyrus. It really suits you, I like how it looks."

Still twisting his fingers in his hair, Demyx gave only a brief nod, smiling a little more sincere, "Well, thank you. I didn't_ just _choose it for entertainment, you know." When the boy walked up to him and addressed the name of his hair style, mullet boy looked a little shocked., "I'm surprised you know what it's called!" he giggled, rosy cheeks returning at the compliment, "Again, thank you! Man, you've complimented me twice already, and I haven't given you one for awhile." Making a 'hmm' sound, he looked so accomplished in the next second, "Your hair is a really interesting color, and it matches your eyes! And your height helps your adorable look, especially when you look irritated and pout."

"Is that so?" he asked, raising a brow. Again, the other blushed, and this made Zexion smile. "Of course I know what it's called. Common knowledge, right?" As soon as it came, his smile fell, and he was left staring at the other with a slightly shocked face. At first, the compliment on his hair color made him glad, but when Demyx mentioned being 'adorable' while he 'pouted' caught him at a loss for words; adorable wasn't really what he aimed for as a highschool student. "I don't pout," he said simply, crossing his arms and turning his head.

Unsure if the first statement was towards the song or mullet comment, the dirty blonde took it for the second one, "Uh, not really. Not even girls know what this style's called, and they're usually into fashion and stuff." A shrug, but his smile soon faded just as quickly as Zexion's. The boy started to yank at his hair nervously again until he saw the other, as hypocritical to his own defiant comment as it was, pout. A sly grin plastered itself on his face as he leaned close to his friend's face, poking his cheek softly, "Oh, don't pout, huh? What are you doing right now then? _Brooding?_"

It did bother Zexion that the other mistook his comment, but he tried not to let it bother him too much seeing as there was a more important debate going on. "I don't pay much attention to whatever is 'in', I just happen to know a few random things." Brooding? Was this suppose to be a joke? Surely, he wasn't amused. Turning to face Demyx, he stuck out his bottom lip and pointed to it. "See this? This is what I use when I pout. Children are adorable, and they pout. I, kind sir, am not a child."

Noticing the conversation about fashion and whatnot was going nowhere, Demyx decided to leave it there. "Yeah? Well, you just pouted right now!" he said in a triumphant but childlike tone, as if he was stating his point in a 'that's that!' manner. Standing straight for a moment, he crossed his arms and pursed his bottom lip, "You don't have to be a kid to look good pouting," he said, leering at the other when another smirk fell onto his face. "See this? This is what I use when I _plot_." Looming over his shorter friend, the musician lifted Zexion up bridal style in one fluid moment, swinging him around briefly before placing a soft kiss to his forehead and putting him down just as quickly.

"Did not!" he shouted. About now, he was acting childish on purpose, slightly enjoying the little game they were playing up until Demyx picked him up, planting a light kiss on his forhead. The action was too fast for him to react right away, touching his forehead and blinking at the other once he was set down. "Why did . . ." He couldn't find himself able to finish his question, again finding himself biting his bottom lip as he felt the heat slowly rise up in his cheeks. Part of him wanted to snap at Demyx for picking him up, but another part wanted to return the favor he had bestowed upon him. ". . . I don't know how to respond to that . . ." was all he could say.

Demyx was still ready to sprint when he saw the boy seem utterly shocked; a rather amusing look when on the usually stoic boy's face. At that moment, he lost his tense muscles and started laughing, holding his stomach and doubling over as he did. "Well, I don't think," an inhale of breath, "it called for an answer!" He couldn't stop for another handful of seconds, but when he did, he was grinning as if he would burst again at any moment. "Unless you want to give a kiss back?" It was a little jest, not really even having the consideration of it actually being taken, but he leaned over anyways to be face level with Zexion. Pointing to his own forehead, the dirty blonde just smiled lightly as he awaited for his friend scold and/or hit him. He didn't regret the kiss, but if he made the other uncomfortable, he would take his punishment.

Was it really expected of him to know what to say? _I think not!_ he thought. If in a movie, playing the part of the girl who just got kissed, he would be expected to slap the other, shouting at him and questioning why he had done so _or_ kiss him back, as the other was now suggesting. He could feel the blush rush up into his cheeks again when the boy leaned closer, and Zexion just blinked at him. "I don't see why not," he said after several moments, thenleaning over and lightly kissing Demyx's forehead.

Seeing the blush, it only fueled the musician's grin; Maybe his action didn't go to waste after all? Demyx soon regained the extra color to his face as the kiss left a small tingle upon his forehead, shyly laughing as he stood up, activating his nervous habit as he looked down. "I was kidding about that, but I'll take that over yelling anytime!" A nod, before he released his strangled piece of hair, "Ya know, you've never been to my house before. Would you like to come over?"

_Of course_ the other would say that he was just kidding, but even so it was sort of challenging the shorter boy. He was glad he did it, though. Thankful that the subject was changed, he tapped his chin in thought. Nodding, he pulled his cell phone out from his pocket. "I wouldn't mind at all. Just let me call my mom . . ." A quick two minutes of explaining where he was, who he was with, and where he was going, and he smiled at Demyx. "Okay. Lead the way!"

The musician waited patiently as Zexion talked to his mother, bouncing a little as he did. Hearing the other's enthusiastic answer, he nodded and took his shorter companion's hand, pulling him into a speedy walk. "I'm not entirely sure if Lux is home. He owns two big name casinos, so sometimes he has to go check the ones in other countries, but he hasn't said anything lately so you might be able to meet him! He's quite the gentleman." Mr. Sunshine's grin was so sincere, and almost proud. After a few winding blocks, they made it to a light green home with a well kept yard. Going up to the door, he unlocked it with a pin number and stepped inside, leading Zexion inside. "Uncle Luxy! Are you here?"


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Ramen is Luxord for this...Um...Yeah, I'm basically just Demyx, sadly. Haha, and I call myself a writer. Anyways! This is quite a slow and crappy chapter...Yeah, thanks again for the reviews, and I really can't think of anything else to warn ya'll about.

Super sorry: This chapter is probably as bad as the first in terms of choppy flow. I am not kidding.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

...This chapter is probably short with a capital 'S', but whatever.

xXxXxXx

In a way, Zexion sort of hoped that 'Uncle Lux' wasn't home, just to avoid being in an uncomfortable position. Though, as much as Demyx talked about him, nothing negative was ever brought up. It would be nice to meet him, but he'd prefer not at the moment. "Ey, mate!" he heard someone shout. _Great_, he _was_ there. "I'll be down in a moment." Keeping to his word, a tall man with platinum blonde hair came down the stairs, though he didn't dress like someone with loads of cash with a simple button down shirt and black jeans. He went over to ruffle Demyx's hair before turning to the shorter boy. "Well what's this now? Have a guest, do we?"

"Lux, I told you I don't like when you do that." the dirty blonde mumbled. Following his uncle's gaze, he then nodded, "This is Zexion, the boy I've been telling you about. Ain't he cute?" He snickered as he let go of his friend's hand finally to move to the other's side, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Zexion, this is my uncle, Luxord! He's the greatest uncle I could ever ask for, and he never loses a poker game!" Demyx chimed, practically advertising the man's skills. "Anyways, I just thought it would be nice if he came over for a while. You'll be here for dinner, right?"

Zexion hadn't even realized his grip on the other's hand until the musician went over to his uncle. "He's more adorable than I imagined! It's a pleasure to meet you." As the artist shook hands with Luxord, he couldn't help relate his personality to a kid with common sense, especially when the man stuck out his chest with pride, "Well, the kid speaks the truth! And that's fine with me if he joins us for dinner!" he said, "no one's called me about any problems, so I'm staying! And how about you lad?" Zexion stared at the two before he shook his head, explaining that his mother wanted him home by six so they could have dinner.

The reply wasn't exactly what Demyx wanted to hear for many reasons, however, his mind was separate from his expression which only kept smiling as he quickly donned his mask. "Well, alright then. I'm sure we could find something to do before I take you home, since it gets dark around five thirty." Giving Luxord a kiss on the cheek, the musician beckoned for his fellow student to follow him, going up to his room. It was, of course, painted blue with four vertical black stripes evenly spaced on each wall and the ceiling dotted yellow to look like stars.

"Welcome to my room. We can watch a movie or something if just talking is boring," the dirty blonde murmured as he walked over to a drawer that had a picture of a lovely brunette woman with bright green eyes and a soft smile. Picking it up, he gave it a small kiss before he set the photo down to glance back at Zexion. "Make yourself comfortable. You can take your shoes off, if you want." In his room, he naturally threw the Demyx people knew away, his more calm and sensitive side appearing. Even his eyes seemed to lose that shine, and his grin just didn't seem as bright. "Kind of dark. Could you turn the light on? The lamp's right next to you."

Zexion had been gazing at the instruments for a moment, then turning to the picture when he saw the musician's attention on it. The boy didn't have to ask to figure out that the beautiful woman was Demyx's mother, and by how the other kissed the picture, he figured they had been very close. He nodded, switching on the light, then slipping off his shoes. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm up for anything," he said slowly, lacing his fingers together behind his back. He felt a little awkward right now; something changed, and he didn't take much comfort in it.

Demyx noticed the discomfort his friend seemed to be in, but he pretended not to know why, "Are you cold? My room can be like winter sometimes." he chuckled lightly, covering his mouth as he yawned and stretched out. "It's a picture of my mom," he then said, nudging towards the photo, "she was really sweet and loving, but avoided conflicts any way she could." A sigh, sea-green eyes going downcast for a handful of moments. "Gotta cherish what you have, I guess. Friends and possessions included." The taller boy smiled, shaking his head right after and walking over to the closet where the TV was, along with two gaming consoles. "You're the guest, so it's your decision. Don't be shy in telling me what you want to do!"

". . . No, I'm fine," he smiled lightly, not really knowing how to repond to what Demyx was saying. His words were true, but he said it in such a sorrowful way that Zexion wanted to go over and hug him. But that wouldn't make everything better again, so he left it. "I guess a movie would be nice," he said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You pick, though."

He expected his smaller companion to be silent about it, or say something along the lines of agreement; anything that didn't seem to be an apology. "If you ever do get cold, you can take the blanket," he said over his shoulder, before going through the stand of video games and DVD cases. "Well, this is a pretty good movie." he murmured, waving the case at Zexion for a second then pulling it back in front of him so he could put it into his black console. After he got iRobot playing, he sat on the floor to lean back against the bed. "You can have the bed to yourself. Oh, I don't want to ruin your appetite, so I won't offer you popcorn but would you like a soda or something?"

Once Demyx sat down, Zexion moved off the bed and next to the other. Pulling his legs close to his body and leaning his chin on his knees, he answered, "I'm good. Thank you for the offer, though." He hadn't seen the movie before, so his attention was caught instantly when it started, a girl under water. Ten minutes in, he was already hooked, wanting to know what wad going to happen, where the climax began.

As soon as his friend became sucked into the movie, Demyx was already dozing into a dreamworld with his eyes open just as quickly. He thought of different things, most leading to this unlikely friendship in some weird way, and others leading to more dark places he always tried to stay away from. Rubbing his eye, he caught sight of the other getting the sheet from his bed. That little smirk of his appeared again as he scooted close to the boy and wrapped an arm around him, pulling Zexion to lean against him slightly.

At suddenly having no space between himself and the dirty blonde, Zexion felt his heart jump slightly. "Just sharing body heat." the mullet boy said softly, as if it weren't quite a big deal. Uncomfortable and staring at the other at first, the usually stoic boy soon felt a wave of sudden exhaustion and rested his head on the taller student's shoulder. He kept his full attention on the movie, but constantly found himself having concentration issues, thinking how close he was to his new friend. He wasn't under any discomfort, in fact, it made him ponder on why he was finding himself wanting to smile whenever he thought this. However, he refused to let himself. _Just pay attention to the movie, Zexion, _he told himself over and over.

Unlike his little buddy, the dirty blonde was having no problem focusing on the movie, though he did find it slightly boring after a while when he realized either shifty movements, spaced out looks, or even the furrowing of eyebrows from the other; obvious signs of internal conflicts, but he just pretended not to notice as he continued to keep his eyes on the screen, the little grin reappearing unconsciously. Having seen iRobot over fifty times in a month, he could tell it wasn't long before it was ending, since it was at the part where the protagonists were trying to shut down the main computer. "We should get going once it's finished."

'Sexy Zexy' was still lost in thought, the reason why his reply came a moment later. "Right," he said slowly. He hoped that his reply didn't come out as shaky as he thought it sounded. At the end of the movie, he found himself liking it, despite the fact that he missed a few of the important parts. He was still under Demyx's arm, clinging on slightly to the other's shirt. Instead of letting go, he just sat there as he waited for movement from the taller boy. Was it really time to go?


	5. Chapter 5

1

Author's Notes: As I said before, I'm just the Demyx, so everyone else in this was played by Ramen. This is also quite short, and probably a sharp ending..I dunno. I can't really think of anything to say other than I hope you enjoyed this story...

Surprise!: The story is actually kind of flowing! Amazing, I know

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ending.

Last chapter, yay...Don't kill me for the ending, PLEASE!

xXxXxXx

Demyx was actually happy to go to school, and had been looking forward to Monday because he would get to see Zexion again. The mullet boy actually found someone who wasn't in some way redundant, and he enjoyed his time with the smaller boy so much he had actually forgotten about his precious doll Vincent. However, after constant searching for the other, he couldn't find the other anywhere. Reasoning that Zexion wouldn't be absent on just the second week of school, he ran to his group of friends, smiling with ease though his eyes were slightly clouded with worry, "Hey, have you guys seen Zexion anywhere? I mean, he's usually here by now, but I can't seem to find him!"

Said group was busy sitting around a certain redhead who was leaning on a table, waving his hands around and describing something he did in some country that weekend. "It was awesome!" he grinned before turning to Demyx. He simply rose a brow to him before shaking his head. "What are you talking about, Dem? Who's 'Zex. . . something or another'?" The rest of the group waited, wondering if Demyx had made another imaginary friend up; he was kind of slow that way.

The boy didn't find Axel being clueless at all strange, but tilted his head when everyone else looked at him oddly, "Um...It's Zex_ion_, not 'something or another'...That be a terrible name, anyways!" Shaking his head, he quickly got back on subject, "what do you mean 'What am I talking about'! Zexion's the guy I've been hanging out with all of last week, remember? That's why I wasn't around the whole time..." His little grin weakened a bit, but he held strong to his mask, not wanting to show off any emotion other than the happy boy he was in their eyes.

Still, they stayed silent, staring blankly at him as Axel was about to say something before someone else spoke up. "Demmy, hun," a blonde girl said, standing up. She came to Demyx's shoulder in height, and stared up at him with a slightly worried expression. "You were with us all week. You were pretty quiet, always sitting at that table over there and staring off into space." She wove her hand behind her in some direction, but kept her gaze on the boy. It seemed liked she was the only one that was truly worried about Demyx, while the others were thinking otherwise.

Finally, the mask fell and shattered to pieces as he gave her an extreme look of disgust, rage hiding in his usually clear sea-green eyes. "Wh-what do you mean? I...I was with him all last week, a-and...And we went to the park together Saturday, and I saved him from a dog! And..." The hatred was flushed away by hysteria of some sort, even himself unsure of what emotion he felt. Now that his mask was broken, Demyx felt so many feelings beginning to overpower his control, "Zexion! Zexion has that lilac-ish hair that goes over one eye, and blue eyes, and...and...He's kind of short, and really stubborn! How can you lie to me when it's been the happiest I've ever been since my mother died!?"

The outbreak of sudden emotion caught all of them off guard, the blonde taking a slight step back. She knew he wouldn't do anything to harm her; he was too nice and pure-hearted for that, but even so, this was the first time she - or anyone for that manner - had seen the boy mention his mother's death in such a way. Normally, when she was mentioned, Demyx would talk about her with a smile, not yell out like any heartbroken child would do. But that's what he was, a child who missed his mother. She didn't know who he was talking about, and it might break his heart more if she said as much. Lucky for them, the bell rang, and they all left with 'I'm sorrys' and the occasional hug.

Unlike his usual self, the dirty blonde didn't do a thing to return the hugs, nor did he respond to any apology. Clenching his fists, Demyx gritted his teeth together, doing everything he could to not cry and curse and blame everything for all that has happened to him. Why were they acting like they didn't know who Zexion was!? Were they seriously that self-centered and bratty!? He was incredibly quiet during his first class, but during second period he finally lashed out at the student who was unfortunate enough to have the same class, "What the Hell is wrong with you!?" he screamed, glaring daggers at Axel, "damn it, I seriously can't believe you! I thought you were my friend!" Axel could only stare blankly as Demyx ran off. He was his friend . . . wasn't he?

At home Luxord had a day off, and he was quite surprised to see his nephew home so early. "Dem? What's wr–," Being pushed past didn't stop the blonde from following the boy to the room, standing by the slammed door. He stood there for a second or two before knocking on it lightly, "Hey kid, are you okay? What's wrong Dem . . . Please, let me in . . . I haven't seen you like this before, you've got to tell me what's going on with you . . ."

The musician remained silent, trying to catch his breath as he sat against the door, throat burning slightly. Though he was still heaving a bit, he was able to speak clearly finally after a few minutes of listening to Luxord coaxing him to talk or open the door, "You..You remem..remember Zex..ion, r-right Lux?" If his so called friends were going to be infuriating and act like they don't know Zexion, at least Demyx could depend on his uncle. The man had been there for the boy after every tragedy, so this shouldn't make it any different. Come to think of it...On his way here, the house that Zexion lived in had strange people moving into it. Looking down, he growled lowly to himself and looked at the door with an acid glare, "You know he's real, and you really did meet him Saturday...Right, Luxord?" Demyx used a foreign, dark voice, and the name was sort of spat out.

Luxord slid down, falling down to his knees on the carpet. He leaned his forehead against the wood, sighing deeply. What was this? What was Demyx trying to pull on him? "Dem . . . What are you talking about? You weren't home on Saturday . . . You called saying you were staying the night at one of your friend's house . . . What's really going on? What happened to you? Please tell me . . ." He couldn't help that his worry for Demyx grew more and more by the second. Through everything, all their tragedies, not once had he seen Demyx so upset so of course it made him worry to no end.

At that moment, he was ready to break something. "Why is everyone lying to me?! I didn't stay at anyone's house! Zexion came over, and you shook his hand and called him adorable, and me and him watched a movie!! Then...I took him home, and hung out with him all of yesterday! Do you think this is funny!? Did everyone randomly say, 'Oh, let's make Demyx miserable!' or something!?" The usually happy boy gripped his hair tightly, clenching his eyes and hunching over as he let out a chain of curses, none really aimed at anyone but still rather uncharacteristic nonetheless. "I know he's real! I know he is! I didn't make him up! I'm...I'm not crazy..."It was almost as if what his 'father' said before was true, and Demyx really was a mental case.. "NO! I'm not crazy!! I'm not!"

The man lifted his head. "Demyx, calm down! Just let me in, no one's trying to make you miserable!" The boy's words were so jumbled up, he wasn't sure if he could make sense of anything he was saying. But the boy kept on, seeming to ignore whatever the elder was saying. Luxord knew that he needed to act quickly before the boy ended up hurting himself. He started pounding on the door, "Demyx, let me in!" he yelled.

"No!" The dirty blonde couldn't remember the last time he cried. His eyes stung from the action, and him yanking at his hair wasn't making him feel any better. As his uncle continued to yell and pound on the door, the boy continued to ignore him, thinking back to what the man who left him at age ten said, and to what he read in psychology. _Fathers are supposed to have a huge affect in a child's lives..._ "Wh..What if it's his fault this is happening? What if he knew this would happen...You..._You Decided This._" As the acid tears kept falling, Demyx slowly relaxed as he laid his head against the door, staring at his ceiling through his blurred vision.

"I'm sorry, Luxord...I'll be okay...I'll behave, just stop banging on my door." When the noise subsided, the musician closed his eyes, losing his senses to everything around him so he could imagine him again. If he was imaginary all along, then Demyx might as well learn to let him go.

"Zexion...Thanks for being here when you did..."


End file.
